“How if I answer no?”

Hamlet (V.ii.117)

Horoscopes for 5-23-23

• Mars squares Jupiter 1° Leo/Taurus 5/21/23
• Sun enters Gemini 5/21/23 2:10 AM
• Sun square Saturn 5/28/23

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Gemini

In my world view? It is the “month of Gemini.” Simply put, the Sun is in Gemini for the duration, and most Gemini that I know, they should all be celebrating. Month-long birthday party, although, to be fair, this will wear out long before the Summer Solstice arrives. The problem, and the challenge? While the Sun is technically in Gemini? Everything else is still backed up in Taurus, or moved on over to other signs, and that means there’s less happening for Gemini than we would all like. You’re in a party mode, but no one else seems to understand. Grasp that, and it makes it lot easier, “We can do this next week, or the week after, I’m cool with that!” Sure. You might not really be “cool with that,” but you can put off the big deal for now. I know no Gemini who can “delay gratification,” but as an idea, and as a birthday gift? Maybe put it off for just a little while. Happy birthday to that one, special one, but seriously, not yet.

Cancer

The crab walks sideways, as that’s the way I’ve always seen it. There are little “sand dollar” crabs at the beach, with their shells maybe an inch across at the widest. Great food source for beach birds, and amusing to chase, plus, those little crabs are great diggers. The relatively “dirty” beaches I’m used to, along the Gulf Coast, the little, sand crab guys are quite common. Never in a straight line, and they manage, despite the abundance of predators, there’s always plenty of tiny crabs like that. The cycle of life, and so on? Sure.

That tiny creature’s resilience in the face of danger, in the face of insurmountable odds, and the way they just keep on keeping on? I admire that. And? From that will the gentle Moon Children, Cancer, the sign of the crab? From that beach critter I’ve observed? That’s your source of inspiration, and for that matter, the way through this mess. It’s not you, but it is everyone else around you, and seems like it might be a hostile environment fraught with predators. Dig in; you’re going to do just fine; that crunchy shell will protect you.

The Leo

I favor a local grocery store. No secret, the chain is HEB. They are almost as common as convenience stores, seems like one on every corner. However, for the sake of variety, I will sometimes try the specialty, oddball places. Or the “Mexican” grocery chain, just as a change of pace. Or, when fishing? There’s the local place, and that store is great, some off-brand, but the selection of bait is excellent. This is about differences, and sometimes, these might seem like subtle differences, but it’s about changes. Shopping in one “LatinX” branded store (Fiesta), I found some coffee that isn’t — it’s a brand I don’t see in the other stores. There’s a smattering of dark chocolate flavor mixed with a heavy dose of cinnamon, and while I can doctor my own coffee to taste similar, there’s something to be said for finding it just like that at the store. “Made in Mexico,” so says the label. Good? I don’t know; we might have different tastes, me and The Leo. But a slight change? A slight change that was really inexpensive? That makes it worthwhile. Cheap change of pace. Two parts, too: shopping in different grocery store than Leo usual, and trying a brand that looks exotic. Or just different.

“I tried that stuff; it was awful.” But you tried it — something different.

Virgo

There’s a certain level where Virgo minutiae becomes mere busy work. Details are important, and someone must look after the details, but there comes a point when the details overshadow the real issue. There’s a two-way on this week’s Virgo issues. Details, sure, details are important. But tending to too many details? Busy fixing minor annoyances rather than addressing larger, structural problems? It’s easy to get caught up in fixing the tiniest of problems, and in one world view? Cleaning up a tiny portion of the problem is the first step towards a greater fix. However, as we cruise along in this week? There’s that “siren’s call” of something that needs to be tidied up, cleaned up, or otherwise “corrected” by that inherent Virgo sense of order. Problem: focusing on the smaller details leaves out the bigger picture, and that larger image — an overall view — is really more important. Don’t get caught up in mind-numbing details and miss the big picture.

Libra

I got in a habit, might not be a good habit, but when I found an author that I liked? Style, setting, story, some aspect of the novels I got hooked on? When I find a series that I liked, as I cruised the digital library, I would grab the next two or three books in the series. What it does? As soon as I’ve finished the 6th, the 7th is ready to download, with the 8th right behind it in line. Makes it cohesive and easier to read in order. It also means I can read through years of material in a single author’s work, like read most, if not all of a series, in a connected narrative form. Fun, sometimes, but then, I also fall into that author’s rhythm, tropes, and symbolism. There’s an addictive side to this, and there’s a pattern that starts to emerge. I like to be able to immerse myself in a series. The first books start back, sometimes before the current millennia, and that means there’s time to pause and reflect, where I was then, what was important, what was the news cycle, and where we are as we progress. This is just one way, and I’ve found popular fiction to be a pleasurable way to measure this. Not sure if this works for all Libra, but one I’m thinking about? Measure in books.

Scorpio

The term? “Lingering.” It can imply a protracted period of time when a quick and decisive action and the outcome, seems to take a lot longer than our good Scorpio selves think it should take. It can also be like another sign’s flatulence, while either unheard or briefly noted for its audio humor, the lingering aroma tends to taint the situations and surroundings. While the Sun has moved into gentle yet loquacious Gemini, there are lingering planets in Taurus, and that’s opposite from good Scorpio. Therein is the conundrum of the planets and the tides and times in peoples’ lives — what to do with the lingering material. In some cases, a simple gesture will waft away the offending situation. Think: wave the stink away. But there are other situations, and understanding that no one seems to be moving at good Scorpio speed at the moment? Give them time. Give us time to catch up. It’s that lingering effect that seems to Scorpio to take too long.

Sagittarius

There’s a gradually awakening, perhaps this is a gentle shift. Then again, given what I know about my own, Sagittarius selves, the gentle tap usually goes unnoticed. Saturn is a universal pause button, exacerbated by the relative position of the Gemini Sun. It’s a small amount of trouble. It’s a bother. It’s also an incessant reminder that we were supposed to do that thing, and it varies from individual to individual as to what “that thing” is. Could be a goal, a task, an ungainly exploit, a miserable job for an unwelcome boss, or being micromanaged by a Virgo (yes dear). None of this falls in the categories of “fun activities,” but with a grimace, and a gray visage? We can get this done. Here’s the little hot Sagittarius tip, as a reminder, the less time we spend complaining about what needs to get done, and the more time we spend doing what needs to get done? The quicker this passes.

Capricorn

There’s a sense that a failure is a major setback, and then there is no hope for moving forward. In the next week, a good Capricorn will encounter at least one “systems failure.” It is not the end of your world. What that failure shows? It’s a weak spot in the Capricorn defense, a point where there can be a breach, and the failure merely shows where we must tighten up the structure. This is less along the lines of a physical confrontation, ands looks more diplomatic, like, a war of words. Sometimes, I’m not passing judgement, but sometimes? Fewer, more precise words are better than just filling the space with a ton of verbiage that carries no meaning. Tighten it up. There’s going to be a series of conflagrations where there might be openings, and the goal? Firm up those defenses. Tighten up the loose spots. Less flex, more action.

Aquarius

“Have you really read all these books?” Fair enough question. Short, honest answer? Probably not all of them. However, looking around, there’s a shelf with thrillers framed around murder mystery, and yes, I’ve read each at least once. There’s a comedic author that is a bit of an absurdist, and not only have read each book, I’ve read some of the books twice. One series, think it’s Grisham or Baldacci, the books get passed around a small circle, so the books get read two or three times before landing on the shelf. This is about what sparks joy in the heart of the Aquarius. What brings pleasure? Looking at my own library, I see influences from friends and “family” for authors I wouldn’t have otherwise read, and now I have a whole collection of the texts. Does this bring joy to me? Yes. The awesome Aquarius question, as we look at this week, and what’s ahead? “Does it bring me joy?” Me? I like tangible books. Some of them.

Pisces

As the Sun moves through the first few degrees of Gemini, this creates tension for Pisces. That tension mostly stems from the pressure caused by Sun square Saturn, and while that is but a fleeting influence? It highlights where there is work yet to be done (for Pisces). “More work? Are you crazy?” I hear you, but this this is more pointed. Think of this as a time for a Saturn scalpel rather than a bludgeoning planet punishment. There’s a finite, and very delicate sense about what can — and can’t — be done. This is a highlight. This is a long road, and using a blunt, broad-based kind of attack isn’t particularly effective. My suggestion, as this tension highlights areas that need work? Think like this, instead, I’m sitting here, and I’ll underline a passage in one of my books, and then slip a piece paper in to mark the page number. That’s different from me grabbing the book, and hitting someone over the head, “Look! You need to read this!” Saturn scalpel, not a broad and blunt beating.

Aries

It’s a thoroughly, to me, intriguing idea, first scooped up from news feeds. How to make espresso in a French Press. I had to sort through a half dozen articles to find one that answered in American English, as most of them mentioned grams of ground coffee, and milliliters of water. Looks like 4 tablespoons of ground coffee to a big cup of boiling water, with the time varying between 30 seconds and a few minutes, press and serve. I’m not sure if I’ve ever made French Press espresso. However, it’s an idea worth considering, perhaps further researched than my casual half-dozen clicks on a search engine. I’ve used a French Press for coffee, off and on, for dozens of years. I would guess, on occasion, my coffee might resemble espresso in strength and viscosity. With the onset of Gemini,with all its dubious glory? Chasing an idea like making espresso in a French Press? Chasing around seemingly trivial material for Aries actually yields functional results. Go down the rabbit hole. Click on the link bait.

Taurus

Strange to watch cycles repeat. While the intrinsic details are naturally just a little different, the patterns are so similar, it’s almost eery. We’ve seen this before, the patterns. Not the individual parts, but the overall pattern is on repeat. Like a bad sitcom rerun? Like seeing the end of the play, over and over again? It’s part of a pattern, a repetitive pattern of renewal, rebirth, and re-growth. Look for the overarching patterns, and look for what is repeating. Then? As a Taurus incentive? Look for minor ways to adjust attitudes to effect a better outcome. But, in case you’re missing the salient point, this is about extant patterns. “Deja vu?” Exactly.

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